Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, flanked by prominent Oregon Democrats, appeared at the University of Oregon campus in Eugene on Oct. 27, 2022, to stump for Democratic candidates ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections.
Brian Bull / KLCC
Bernie Sanders fired up a crowd of 1,100 people at the University of Oregon in Eugene Thursday. The progressive senator from Vermont had plenty to say about the midterm elections.
Sanders was joined by a roster of Oregon Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek, and Val Hoyle, who’s running for Congress against Republican Alek Skarlatos.
Sanders urged support for Democratic candidates going forward. “We can make public colleges and universities, tuition-free” he said, to an enthusiastic cheer.
In fact, Sanders scored many applause lines from the campus crowd. Especially on the potential legalization of marijuana on the federal level.
Sanders said the future of America itself is at stake, referencing former President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept his loss to Joe Biden in the presidential election two years ago. Since losing his re-election bid, Trump and many other Republicans have amplified groundless claims of voter fraud.
“Your fathers and grandfathers and grandparents died and fought to preserve democracy, we’re not going to let Trump and his friends take it away,” Sanders declared, to a roar of applause and cheers.
In a release sent right after the event, the Skarlatos campaign said Sanders’ endorsement of Hoyle demonstrates her, quote, “extreme liberal agenda.”
After his rally in Eugene, Sanders headed north for an event scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Portland’s Roseland Theater.
